Treatment of vocal defects and the vocal organs



March 4, 1941; E. AZARETT] 3,506."

- TREATMENT OF VOCAL DEFECTS AND THE VOCAL ORGANS Filed Oct. 2, 195,9

Gamay/f Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES 2,233,506 TREATMENT OF vooAI. DEFECTS AND THE VOCAL ORGAN S Emilio Azaretti, Ventimiglia, Italy, assignor to Schweizerische Gesellschaft, der Kalophone Institute, Oberageri, Switzerland Applicationoctober 2, 1939, Serial No. 297,598 In Switzerland September 15, 1938 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of stuttering and like vocal defects and to the strengthening of the vocal organs.

It is known that stuttering and like vocal defects are caused by faulty functioning of the diaphragm. This can be treated byappropriate exercising of breathing in conjunction with loud reading or exercising of speaking by which means at the same time weakness of the vocal organs can be treated.

Formerly, the patient in carrying out the exercising of breathing had, however, no control of the same even when the exercises had been prescribed by a trained professional. The'treatment of the defect was, therefore, carried out arbitrarily for the most part and consequently often had no success even after a long duration.

This drawback is eliminated according to this invention by the provision of a device which comprises a bandage adapted to be tightened about the body of the patient at the region of the diaphragm and having an interior hollow space which is connected with a pressure indicating device for indicating the fluctuations of pressure of 'a pressure medium, filling this hollow space, as caused by the breathing of the patient.

This device permits the exercising of breathing to be controlled by the patient and by the instructor, due to the fact that the indications of the pressure indicating device are indicative of the pulsating movements which the patient undergoes in breathing and which can thus be checked. Accordingly, faulty breathing can be readily recognized and the exercising of breathing continued on a more scientific basis than hitherto, in consequence of which, the chances for expediting improvement are greater.

In the accompanying drawing an embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example only, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device ac cording to the invention;

Fig. '2 is a vertical section of the pressure indicating device, and

Fig. 3 shows an elevational View of a modified device according to the invention during use.

A bandage l which can be tightened about the body of the patient at the region of the diaphragm by means of a strap closure 2 is provided with a hollow space which is formed by an outer rubberized layer 3 of fabric and an inner elastic layer 4 of rubber. The two layers 3, 4 are interconnected all around in such a way that the intervening hollow space holds tight against a pressure medium, such as compressed air. With this hollow space a hose 5 is connected which is provided with a compressible rubber bulb 6, acting'as an air pump and provided with a valve 6", and being connected through a branch conduit with a pressure indi- 5 eating device I of the kind of the usual pressure gauges. The device I has an indicator II which visually indicates the pressure of the air contained in the hose 5 one. scale 9.

In using the device, the bandage l is placed 10 about the body of the patient by means of the strap closure 2 in such manner that the elastic wall portion of the hollow space is pressed against the region of the diaphragm, whereupon the air is pumped in the hollow space of the bandage by means of the rubber bulb 6 until the indicator l l of the device 1 indicates a desired pressure. The device is then in condition for exercising. During the exercising, irrespective of whether the breathing is accompanied with speaking, the indicator of the pres sure gauge oscillates over the scale 9 in accordance with the pulsations of breathing for the reason that these pulsations set up corresponding fluctuations of pressure in the air '25 cushion of the bandage.

The indicator ll of the pressure indicating device indicates the pulsations of breathing in visual manner by which means faulty respiratory movements are recognized and the defect of the patient can thus be determined as well as the measures to be taken for treating it.

For this purpose the following modified form of the pressure indicating device '1 is of par ticular advantage. As shown in Fig. 2, the casing of this form includes, apart from the auxiliary motor device IQ for transforming the fluctuations of pressure into mechanical movements of the indicator II, a clockwork l3, having a speed regulating device similar to a change 40 speed gear 15 adjustable by means of a handle It, as well as a releasing mechansm I! which. can be controlled by a push button control IS. The releasing mechanism l1 controls the drive I8 associated with the clockwork I3 of an auxiliary indicator l2 which is movable in a plane parallel with the plane of movement of the primary indicator II.

By means of the push button control [6 the releasing mechanism I! can be set in motion for releasing the drive 18, whereupon the auxiliary indicator I2 is set in motion by the clockwork I 3. Depending upon the adjustment of the regulating device I5 by means of the handle M which can be set to corresponding marks on the casing of the devicel, the auxiliary indicator l2 moves continually or in steps at a corresponding velocity. By comparison of the movements of vthe primary indicator ll caused by the respiraexactly determined and accordingly the properv mode of procedure in carrying out the exercises for treating the defect of the patient can :be chosen. To this end it is necessary to ascertain whether the indicator ll follows the movements of the indicator l2, taking place at a certain velocity, or not, that is, in which manner .the movements of the two indicators differ from each other.

By means of the push button control IS the auxiliary indicator [2 can be stopped and reset into zero position.

As shown in Fig. 3, the pressure indicating device 1 anda push button 6a for controlling the extent to which the bandage is pumped up are included in a common casing I 0.

The pressure indicating device may have several scales which may be provided with numerals or characters or colored-marks orthe like.

The scale for indicating the movements of the indicators ll, l2 ofthe pressure indicating device may be arranged on a removable sheetso that this sheet can be exchanged for another sheet provided with a different scale.

The drive of the auxiliary indicator l2 may be derived from a part exteriorly of the casing of the pressure indicating device. Furthermore, the releasing mechanism I! may be automatically adjustable. Thepr essuremedium may be supplied by a branch connection of a pressure conduit instead of by a hand operated air pump.

The clockwork l3 maybe provided with an electrical drive instead of with a mechanical eating the movements of said pressure fluctuation indicator, and a power actuated drive for operating said auxiliary indicator.

2. In a device for the treatment of stuttering and like vocal defects and the strengthening of the vocal organs of a patient, a bandage adapted to be tightened about the body of the patient at the region of the diaphragm thereof and having an interior hollow space, a pressure medium filling said hollow space, a pressure indicating device connected with said hollow space, an indicator provided in said pressure indicating device, for indicating the fluctuations of pressure caused in said pressure medium by the breathing of the patient, an auxiliary indicator for indicating lapse of time, a power actuated drive for operating said auxiliary indicator, and a releasing mechanism for alternately setting in motion, stopping and resetting into zero position said auxiliary indicator.

3. In a device for the treatment of stuttering and like vocal defects and the strengthening of the vocal organs of a patient, 'a bandage adapted to be tightened about the body of the patient at the region of the diaphragm thereof and hav-v ing an interior hollow space, a pressure medium filling said hollow space, a pressure indicating device connected with said hollow space, an indicator provided in said pressure indicating device, for indicating the fluctuations of pressure caused in said pressure medium by the breathing of the patient, an auxiliary indicator for indi cating the movements of said pressure fluctuation indicator, and a clockwork for operating said auxiliary indicator.

4. In a device for the treatment of stuttering and like vocal defects and the strengthening of the vocal organs of a patient,.a bandage adapted to be tightened about the body of the patient at the region of the diaphragm thereof and having an interior hollow space, a pressure 'medium'filling said hollow space, a pressure indicating device connected with said hollow space, an indicator provided in said pressure indicating device for indicating the fluctuations of pressure caused in said pressure medium by the breathing of the patient, an auxiliary indicator for indicating the movements of said pressure fluctuation indicator,

a clockwork for operating said auxiliary indica- EMILIO AZARET'I'I. 

